Wednesday 31 January 2007

Need the Doctor in Venus Bay or Tarwin Lower?

Venus Bay and Tarwin Lower are serviced once a week on Thursdays by visiting doctors at the Tarwin Lower & District Community Health Centre on Walkerville Rd, Tarwin Lower.

You do need to make an appointment, and it's best if you can do this a week in advance as demand for appointments sometimes outstrips the appointments available.

The doctors there are very nice and do a great job looking after their patients. Their main practice is in Foster.

Call (03) 5667-5680 to book an appointment. The centre is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

If you can't get an appointment, or can't wait until the Thursday, there are doctors in Inverloch, Wonthaggi, Leongatha and Foster. The Leongatha Hospital and Wonthaggi Hospital are the main hospitals in the area.

Thursday 25 January 2007

Venus Bay Sunsets

Here are some more Venus Bay sunset photos I took earlier this week at the beach. Sometimes the colours are amazing. I really went to see if I could see the comet, but the clouds were obscuring it I think. Maybe tonight will be better in an hour or so.





Tuesday 23 January 2007

Australia Day free breakfast in Tarwin Lower

There is going to be a free breakfast at Fisher Reserve on Walkerville Road, Tarwin Lower starting at 8am on Friday, Australia Day, January 26. It's Free. I don't know who's putting it on, but it's a nice thing for them to do.

Sunday 21 January 2007

Is this it for the drought?

We've had over 40mm of rain over the last few days in the rain-gauge in the backyard in Venus Bay. It's been so long since we've had sustained rain for more than half a day, I'd forgotten what it was like. Here's hoping we get some more - enough to fill the tanks and dams, water the ground and put out the fires in the high country. Everything was looking so dry. After only a few days of rain, you can see green returning to the landscape. The dry, brown farms around here are starting to grow grass again. The cows will be happy!

I know it hasn't been as dry here as other parts of Australia. On a recent trip to NSW, the country between Bathurst and Forbes was desolate. Our brown fields were lush by comparison. None the less, it's illuminating to see the rainfall readings to the Tarwin Lower supermarket for the past few years. In many of the months of the last year, we've had very little rain compared to even 2 years ago, and they were drought years too.

Friday 19 January 2007

nice photo montage

I found this on YouTube. Very nice photo montage of Venus Bay Beach.

Wednesday 17 January 2007

what a relief!

Wow! The afternoon storm coupled with the widespread blackout was amazing. Seeing all that heavy rain come down so fast was fantastic... good tank-filling rain. We got about 12 mm in half an hour. Luckily we left the beach just before it started.

The power went off about 5.45pm and came back on at 8.20, just as I was about to light some candles.

It only cooled down to about 25 degrees, not ideal sleeping weather, but it was a relief all the same. Today was supposed to be hot again, but the seabreeze seems to be keeping a lid on the temperature for now. I notice that it's already 31 degrees in Melbourne at 11.30am and it's still only 26 here. Here's hoping it stays that way. I realise that I'm no good in the heat.

Tuesday 16 January 2007

hot as hell

Right now in Venus Bay, it's about 37 degrees and as hot as hell. I just noticed on the Bureau of Meteorology site that it's only 18 degrees down at Wilsons Prom. Maybe I should drive down there to cool off for a while. How can there be such a difference in temperature between here and somewhere just 40km away?

The beach would be a good option and it would be nice and cool in the water, but by the time I got back to the car it would be worse than before. Maybe go down after 6 when the anti-dog rules finish so I can take the pup.

Sunday 14 January 2007

Venus Bay Twilight Market

The Venus Bay Twilight Market is on tonight, Sunday January 14th at the Venus Bay Community Centre on Canterbury Road from 4pm.

Thursday 11 January 2007

almost like a real town

I'm loving the holidays. The local shop, the Venus Bay General Store is open until 9pm! Such convenience :)

They normally close around 6.30, so if you don't get there early enough, the Tarwin Lower supermarket is normally open until 7 or 8pm, and maybe later at this time of year.

Luckily, I'm easily pleased....

I read something earlier about a proposal in 2004 to build a new estate of 2,000 homes in Venus Bay. The locals at the time were against it it seems. They saw it as a threat to Venus Bay's splendid isolation. I have to say I'm glad it didn't go ahead. How many people can you put on a giant sandbar anyway? It might have led to better local services, such as garbage collection or street mail delivery, but the dirt roads and lack of facilities are part of the charm. Turning Venus Bay into something like any other coastal town would be a shame. As the world gets faster and more connected, it's good to know that there are still some places where you can escape from it all.

Wednesday 10 January 2007

Public internet access in Venus Bay

If you don't have internet access at your place, or where you are staying, public internet access is available at the Venus Bay Caravan Park in their internet cafe.

See their website for more information.

Tuesday 9 January 2007

crowded...

When I came to Venus Bay in the middle of winter, it was very quiet. People said it gets really busy in the summer. Well, it's the middle of summer and most of the houses have people staying in them for a change, but it still doesn't seem busy. I guess it's all relative. I used to live on a main road in Melbourne... That was busy! Granted though, it is a lot busier than usual. Sometimes there are more than two cars on the road at the same time.... amazing!

It's really nice here at this time of year. We had a hot week, but it's turned cooler again now, which I like much more. There has even been a small amount of rain, which is good. The grass is developing a green tinge instead of the summer brown. What's the old saying? The grass is always greener over the septic tank. I hope it rains some more though. I don't fancy the idea of having to have water trucked in if the tank doesn't fill itself. I have no idea how much it costs, I assume a lot.

Sunday 7 January 2007

Venus Bay Tip Times

There is no garbage collection service in Venus Bay, so residents and visitors need to take their rubbish and recycling to the local tip.

Venus Bay tip is located just north of the First Estate. Drive along Canterbury Road to the turn-off to No. 3 Beach.

There is a $3.00 minimum charge for general rubbish and recycling & green waste is free.

Opening hours are as follows:

Mon: 9am - 12pm
Tue - Thu: 9am - 12pm (Dec 26 - Jan 31 only)
Fri: 9am - 12pm
Sat - Sun: 9.30am - 3.30pm
Pub Hol: 9am - 5pm (except Christmas Day)

Saturday 6 January 2007

Venus Bay from space

Google Maps

Amazing view of Venus Bay and Andersons Inlet from space.

Friday 5 January 2007

at the lighthouse

Here are some pictures I took on a trip to Cape Liptrap Lighthouse. There are some views of the cliffs and Wilsons Prom. I don't know what kind of wallaby it is...









Venus Bay Sunsets

rossp.org - Gallery: Venus Bay Sunsets

Here is a link to Ross Poulton's blog with some great Venus Bay Sunset photos.

on the beach...

Went down to the beach last night to cool off. It was about 32C most of the day and it was lovely and cool in the water. The dog loves the beach.... unfortunately we need to wait until 6PM to take her there though due to the restrictions in the summer months.

Even on hot days there aren't very many people on Venus Bay's Beaches, it's nothing like Bondi! On Bondi Beach on a day like today, there would be 3cm between the towels... at Venus Bay, you can still find a quiet spot on the sand all your own.

The beaches at Venus Bay are numbered - Beach No. 1 is the southern-most beach and the only one that is patrolled by the local SLSC. It is also the most accessible as the walk from the carpark is the least steep. Then Beach No 2, about 500m north of No. 1 is probably the hardest to get to by car, but an easy walk down the shore from one of the others. No. 3 is accessed up past the rubbish tip and offers a good view from the carpark, as do No's 4 and 5. Beach No. 5 is the northern-most entry and has steep stairs down to the beach. The carpark there is the best spot for a high-up view of Cape Liptrap to the south and the expanse of coast and sea. Public toilet facilites are available at Beach No's 1 and 5.

Monday 1 January 2007

About Venus Bay

Venus Bay is located in South Gippsland, Victoria. It's a pleasant 2 hour drive from Melbourne and has a lot to offer holiday-makers.

There's the beautiful 22km long beach, Anderson's Inlet, the Tarwin River, Point Smythe and the rest of Cape Liptrap Coastal Park. There are lots of flora and fauna, including kangaroos, wombats, heaps of birdlife and of course fishing. You can pull some salmon from the beach and take it home for dinner.

Venus Bay is a sleepy hollow for most of the year, with a permanent population of about 250 people which swells to up to 1,800 in the summer holidays with many families heading down to make the most of their holiday houses or the hundreds of holiday rentals, the caravan park or one of the comfy B&B's.

Wilson's Promontory is less than an hour away by car, with walking tracks and fabulous beaches and camping.